Dartford Toll Crossing

inkey$

inkey$

Lifer
 Sevenoaks & Suffolk
First time across today without the coin throw. Before heading back I decided to create my account and pay. To save future headaches (you can make one off payments), I had to setup a direct debit and start with a minimum of £10 credit. Also ticked the box that said if I automatically got low on funds it would add another £10 for me, which IMO is the point of a direct debit. Weirdly this is the minimum you can add.

My problem with it all is that the cost to cross is now £2.50!! That means £5 return trip and of course more money added to my account but held by the government making nominal interest until I use it again.

£2.50. Justified by the work being done to make it all automatic I'm guessing. The fact that we've all paid over the odds a hundred thousand times since the bridge and tunnel we're first opened is a moot point I suppose.

:headbang:
 
I've had a dart tag and auto top up for quite a few years now. Dead easy. The new system is even easier though I've not used it without the barriers yet. I agree putting the price up is ridiculous, but I thought you get a discounted price for pre-paying, like you did with the dart tag :?
 
Brasseye said:
once paid for it was supposed to become toll free. :rtfm:

Should have been free to use by 2003!
Click to expand...

Ahh yes, but shortly after the construction cost (£86million) was recovered, the bridge was sold to Skanska, Atkins, Balfour Beatty and a French company called Egis. Because it's privately owned, the joint company is well within their rights to charge what the hell they like for people to cross the bridge. Nothing to do with the government's 'private finance initiative' now. Don't quote me but I believe the cost was 100% recovered in 2002 which is when it was sold to the 4 infrastructure companies.
 
Why are the government managing the charging scheme if it's privately owned ?
 
And if privately owned why would the recovery of non payment not be a private charge?
 
they are all going to be like this. more and more of our roads will become toll roads like the m6. its only a matter of time before they make the whole road system private and tolled. the new runcorn bridge is going to be tolled which means is you need to get over the mersey your only free choice will be the M6 or going thorough warrington.


apparently this is why the tolls are needed for the new mersey bridge

Why tolls are needed

The case for a toll-free crossing has been made to Government and Government’s response has been clear – it is a tolled Silver Jubilee Bridge and Mersey Gateway or no new bridge.

On 28 March 2014 the Council entered into a contract with the Merseylink consortium which is responsible for the construction and operation of the project over a thirty year term. The Council payments to Merseylink are to be funded by a combination of toll revenue and Government grants. Merseylink will use the payments received from the Council to meet its costs, including the repayment of around £650m in private sector loans and investment. The debt is set to take around 30 years to repay.

The contracts signed by Government, Merseylink (the contractor), the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board Ltd and the Council, is for two tolled crossings and sets out clear legal obligations, including obligations on tolls that are legally binding on all parties
- See more at: http://www.merseygateway.co.uk/2014/07/mersey-gateway-and-silver-jubilee-bridge-tolling-a-clarification/#sthash.1ZalwzBs.dpuf
 
Okay, didn't know it was a reduced charge for pre-pay. My rage must have blanked that bit out in the T&Cs.
 
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